Best Highlights for Your Hair Color

From highlights to lowlights, find out which shades complement your hair color

Did you ever go through a gothic phase in high school, when you couldn't stand even a slight fade to your jet black hair color? Those days, you probably thought highlights were only meant for the carefree blondes or the sun-kissed brunettes of the world -- tortured soul, much?

Or maybe you had a head full of highlights -- bright blonde strands scattered on top of your dark brown hair -- and wish you could transport your current colorist back to your life circa college. You know, so he could talk you out of those fake-looking streaks.

Whatever your highlight history, it's time to think about revisiting them. Highlights offer the ability to switch up your hair color without getting a dramatic overhaul, and they can bring depth and life to an otherwise blasť brown or dull blonde.

The key to great, natural-looking highlights, say experts, is knowing what shades will work best with your hair color. To get the inside scoop, we turned to hair colorist Marco Pelusi, owner of Marco Pelusi Hair Studio, Inc. in West Hollywood, Calif. Here are his best tips on how to get the right highlight shades for every hair color (even jet black, for all of you goth queens out there).

Thank you for including something about black hair. Any hairdresser I went to for highlights used blonde colors. Now I know what to tell them to do. Also, it is critical to use color safe/retention products. I have never tried Shielo, but I am going to now. Great advice!